From 217c8b6b8c1d5078316dcf8f05eecf4b25efbbba Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "adam j. sontag" Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:53:27 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add content for Supporting Other Users page on why support is a worthwhile pursuit and jQuery support venues to participate in. Partially addresses #10. --- pages/support.md | 81 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 81 insertions(+) diff --git a/pages/support.md b/pages/support.md index 8d72c3f6..e49b8cf8 100644 --- a/pages/support.md +++ b/pages/support.md @@ -1,3 +1,84 @@ --- title: Supporting Other Users --- + +With millions of jQuery users all over the world, there's always someone out +there who needs a helping hand. Like many open source projects, the jQuery +Foundation relies on community support channels like +[forums](http://forum.jquery.com), [IRC](http://irc.jquery.org), and +[StackOverflow](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/jquery). Helping out +with support is one of the best first steps you can take to get involved in any +open source community, and is a great way to contribute on an ongoing basis. + +--- + +## Instant Gratification + +Fixing bugs and improving documentation ways are surefire ways to prevent +eventual trouble for others, but if you want to have an immediate impact, +nothing beats Q&A. The feeling of moving a stumbling block aside for a +perfect stranger, or triggering a "Eureka!" moment that helps someone become a +better developer (and the thanks you'll receive) is pretty fulfilling — and +can be addictive! + +## Broaden Your Knowledge, Deepen Your Perpsective + +Making yourself available to help with support is an organic way expand your +exposure to aspects of the API and different techniques you (and your +colleagues) may not have already encountered. Solving an **actual problem** is a +great way to get hands-on experience with something new, converting a piece of +knowledge into an actual weapon in your toolbelt. And even if you can't help with +a particular question, just being around to observe the problem and someone +else's solution is a great way to **learn from others' mistakes**, putting you in a position +to avoid common pitfalls without ever falling into them yourself. + +Over time, however, you'll come to recognize the common problems that pop up +time and time again, and maybe even develop a knack for uniting the those in +need of help with that perfect link, no matter the subject. Most importantly, +however, this experience helps set you up to make informed decisions when it +comes to proposing and discussing new features and changes, as you're able to +make judgments and recommendations that go beyond your own particular needs. + +## Serve On The Front Lines + +There's often a lot of overlap between [bug triage](/triage/) and support. +Unfortunately, many users rush to support forums breathlessly claiming to have +discovered a bug at the first sight of an exception, when the actual culprit is +having misread some documentation or a lack of experience with language +principles. On the other hand, it's not uncommon for a user to come in looking +for help, assuming they're making some sort of mistake, only to discover an +actual bug that needs to be filed and fixed. Working on Q&A puts you +squarely in the middle of this action, an indispensable link between users and +the workarounds they need to continue making progress on their projects, and +core team members and the reduced, confirmed test cases they need to actually +begin solving bugs. + +--- + +## Where To Help + +### IRC + +Live, interactive support for all jQuery Foundation projects takes place 24/7 +in the [#jquery](irc://irc.freenode.net/#jquery) IRC channel on +[Freenode](http://irc.freenode.net), and it's a great place to give and receive +help with small- to medium-sized problems in all sorts of environments. (If you're unfamiliar +with Internet Relay Chat, take a look at our [IRC Help](http://irc.jquery.org/irc-help) page for +information about how to get connected and what to expect once you're there.) + +### Forums + +Traditional, asynchronous "message-board" style support goes on at the [jQuery +Forum](http://forum.jquery.com/), which presently runs on [Zoho +Discussions](https://discussions.zoho.com/home). There are forums for +discussion of development issues, but the primary support takes place on the +[Using jQuery](http://forum.jquery.com/using-jquery), [Using jQuery +UI](http://forum.jquery.com/using-jquery-ui), and [Using jQuery +Mobile](http://forum.jquery.com/using-jquery-mobile) forums. + +### StackOverflow + +If features like karma and upvoting of answers appeal to you, there is a +vibrant, independent [jQuery support community on +StackOverflow](http://stackoverflow.com/tags/jquery/info), the popular Q&A +site.